Colder than Ice, but Sweeter than I
by wforeverjj
Summary: Sixteen year old Ken Amada has the responsibilities of an adult. He attends Gekkoukan High school and is the star of his soccer team. He tries his best, along with the other SEES members, to forget about the red-eyed girl. One day, he crashes into said girl and his life is turned upside down. Will she fall in love with Ken all over again? Minako x Ken; Please read
1. Chapter 1

Title: **Colder than ice, but sweeter than I**

Pairing: **Ken x Minako**

Persona 3 Portable (Since Ken has grown and we see that he is older now…we should give back his sweet, sweet dear Minako; takes place in…holy shit, I just played this game and I forgot the name LOL forgive me guys) And they need some lovin'

_**Chapter one: Brighter than the star…**_

The boy combed his hair up, exposing his bare forehead. He diped his long, slender hands into the pot of room-temperature gel and slicked his thick brown hair away from his face. Eyeing the mirror once more, the boy smiled in relief, proud that he could look so damn good even without his signature hairstyle. He grabbed his school bag and scurried out of his little apartment. He checked the lock one more time before running to school.

Ken Amada was more than your run-of-the-mill sixteen year old hormonal teenager. He had "adult" responsibilities and thus did not choose to partake in sex or smoking. His friends always bragged about bangin' the next chick, but Ken never fancied the idea of screwing any of the girls at his school. Of course, pretty boy Ken attracted an audience when he entered high school. He participated in student council, the health committee, and soccer (football, but I'm a dumbass American). Since he lived alone, dear Mitsuru decided to pay for his apartment and other undertakings. He was determined to stop depending on adults, so he brought it upon himself to working every weekend. Sometimes, Aki and Shinji visited him and cooked him some healthy and hearty meals because Shinjiro could not let the kid starve. They just loved him too damn much, but Ken knew those two were still mourning. Even with so much change, Ken was still the same ten year old boy you knew. He liked black coffee, omelet with fried rice, milk, spears, orange jackets, a dog named Koromaru, and…that beautiful girl with bright red eyes. He would be lying to himself if he said he never stopped thinking about her.

She was so sweet to him. Her smile was contagious and her voice was heavenly. She never looked down on him and waited for him. He remembered. She promised that she would wait for him, even if they were six years apart. The little crush he had eventually blossomed into love. And maybe, she really loved him too. He never took it upon himself to have high expectations of those older than himself. He knew too damn well that adults could be colder than the fucking ice in his carbonated drinks. But, he wanted something to look forward, to keep pushing him on. She was the one he could lean on. She took him to his favorite stores and cooked him his favorite foods, but he never felt good enough for her. He couldn't return all the thanks because he was too young to do anything. So, he hated himself for it. All he wanted was for her to wake up and come back to him, but would she come to him? Was she really one-hundred percent his. Could he trust her to hold his heart, even when he knew she was very precious to everyone, especially Aki and Shinji? However, it didn't matter because he wasn't going to lose. He loved her so much. He loved-

"Ken? Hey dude, wake the hell up. It's lunch."

Ken rose from his nap and wiped the salvia dripping from the edge of his mouth. He rubbed his eyes and yawned before settling into the gaze of his friend.

"Oh man dude. You look like shit. What did you drink last night?" His annoying blonde friend asked.

"I'm just tired." Ken replied, masking his annoyance.

"Well, we have practice today, but you don't have to go. I know you're busy and you're so damn good, but that little horde of fangirls you carry is pretty cool. It's nice having chicks cheer for you, especially in those short skirts. I'm jealous." The boy laughed.

Ken got up from his seat and grabbed his bag. "I'll see if I can make practice today. Just keep working hard." Ken quickly flashed his friend a smile before rushing out of the classroom. He ran to the restroom, stopping everyone so often to say hello.

Inside the stall, Ken checked his new messages. He always gets spam or love confessions because somehow the whole school knew his number, but he only opens one.

From: Akihiko Sanada

Tomorrow's the get together at Shinji's restaurant. Don't forget. (insert smiley face)

….Ken decides to go straight home instead of going to soccer practice.

However, the lovable teenager was stuck doing cleaning work for sick students. Ken couldn't say no to the teacher. The old ass teacher kept going on and on about how great Ken was at school and how he was such a good role model. Basically sucking up to Ken. The young boy had no other choice. He spent two hours mopping, dusting, spraying, and scrubbing several classrooms. He should have just went to soccer practice, but Ken didn't mind. He liked his school clean.

"I guess today's just not my lucky day." He sighed, gathering all his items.

He quietly walked down the hallway toward the entrance, while humming and thinking to himself. He wondered what the gang would discuss about tomorrow. It was nice seeing everybody together and friendly. It was rare for the group to get together because they all had different schedules. _Shinji will cook…Mitsuru usually brings us all cards…Akihiko senpai buys me stuff and gives me advice….Junpei is the mood maker…well, what should I bring? I don't want to go empty handed._

He pushed open the door and felt the cold breeze. "Wow, it's chilly." He quickly glanced at his watch. _And it's five thirty already. I really need to get home._

He took a deep breath and proceeded to run straight for the gates. He carried himself at five miles per hour with a backpack full of junk in the back and wind at twenty-five. He let himself go and momentarily closed his eyes. It was as if it wasn't running, but he didn't know what was making him this way. Suddenly, he felt himself slowing down…and this pain fell all over him. The pain of crashing into somebody and falling…it really did fucking hurt.

"Oh shoot! What the heck happened…" He lost his breath. He reached for his aching head and clenched it…he clenched it so hard.

His body was sprawled on top of a soft, small figure. It smelled like strawberries and milk…something familiar. His fingers slightly brushed over the figure's neck and then it gasped. He heard a soft murmur. Her voice sounded so nice.

"Um, well I, I'm kinda," she stuttered, her voice shaky, "I'm sorry." Her voice was low and breathy.

Ken, embarrassed, lifted his head, facing the girl's face, and apologized. "No, I'm really sorry! I, I wasn't watching and in the end, I hurt you…I'm really sorry." He tried his best to calm himself.

He opened his eyes. It was met with bright ruby eyes. He looked down and noticed her soft pink lips…er, her gekkoukan uniform. Suddenly, his face turned red and he immediately brought himself up. He was definitely embarrassed. She probably caught him checking her out.

He abruptly spoke up. "I'm truly sorry for that, but it's really late and I wasn't watching. School ended two hours ago." He hid his face away from her.

The small girl got up and dusted her skirt. She smiled at the boy's apology.

"I'm so glad to see you…Ken-kun." The way his name left her lips…it definitely could not be. But no…Ken was sure she died. He remembered the time she closed her eyes. They were at the rooftop of Gekkoukan. She said she was tired and everyone remembered. He was so angry at himself for not remembering. But, that was March fifth…2009. It was 2015 and he was sixteen now. _No, this is just an illusion. Everyone knows me. I'm Ken Amada. She's probably just a classmate…with big, red eyes. _

The air was quiet and the wind silent. He was too deep in thoughts to notice…

"Oh, I'm sorry. You're probably scared of me. But, you do remember me…right? I used to always make you omelets and watched Neo Featherman with you every Friday and Saturday night…unless we were busy at Tartarus. You said you were-"

"Don't say anything." He interrupted, turning around and facing the girl.

"I know this has to be a dream. I probably hit a pole and now I can't snap out of it. Will you stop haunting my dreams all the time! Why do you keep on hurting me, huh? You act like it's no big deal, but I've gone through so much. We've all gone through so much because you passed away! We aren't the same. That sadness runs through all of our eyes. I just wanna be happy. I'm just sixteen years old." He felt an unbearable anger swelling inside of him and he just needed to vent. It really hurt, but needed to calm himself.

The figure stepped closer and closer until their faces were only inches apart.

It really was her.

She embraced the young boy and took in his scent.

"You're sixteen already? Six years have passed since I last saw you and now, you're finally catching up to me. You're so tall and skinny. And your hair…it has grown. I can't believe it Ken-kun. I really missed you." She embraced him tighter and he let her.

He reached for her long brown hair. It felt so real. Maybe she was really here with him now. Maybe he could finally articulate himself and confess…his true feelings for her. Ken was happy. He was now taller and bigger than her. She was kinda short. And it felt so good…her sweet words. He just wanted all of her.

"No, I'm just kidding myself. It can't be you…I saw you…you died right in my arms." He shivered.

She pushed him away and stared deeply into his eyes.

"I know it's hard for you to believe that I'm really here, but I am. This is me. I'm Minako! I'm not a fiction of your imagination. I'm really here with you…standing with you…hugging you." He noticed her cheeks turning a slight pink.

Ken brought his hands up to her face, softly brushing her pink cheeks. He grabbed her into another hug with his lips on top of her forehead.

"Are you sure I'm not really insane? Because you always drove me crazy." He sighed, taking in her sweet aroma.

"Well, I'm…cold. Ken-kun, I'm really cold." She blushed.

Ken pulled himself away and nodded. He picked up his bag and grabbed her small hands. "Let's go to my apartment."

**Author's note: Hey, this is not proof readed yet and yes I am a heterosexual male and I write fancy stuff. I'm not sure if the dates are really right, but I'm not the brightest star in the sky. Tell me what you think. Please be gentle. Chapter two coming up? I don't know when. I'll post it if you'll want. Chapter two is much better. This is just a fluff mess, as this is my way to contribute to ken and minako. Peace xxxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Colder Than Ice, but Sweeter Than I**

**Author's note**: Thank you all for commenting. It has been more than a month since I last updated, but I'm preparing for school and working at the same time. Also, thank you for favoriting and following my story. I'm really glad that I get to provide a story for those who are fans of KenxMinako. My sister is a big fan of this ship, but they barely have any stories. I hope to make this journey amazing. I really get motivation when people leave reviews. I love you all and hope you enjoy chapter two.

_**Chapter two: As Bitter as My Black Coffee…**_

It was cold, but he held onto her small hands as tight as he could. The girl with beautiful ruby eyes did not utter a single word as Ken took her far away. She wasn't sure where he was taking her, but a tiny smile plastered her lips. He finally was taller than her and it felt like he was protecting her.

Ken's heart was trembling louder than ever and he found it quite embarrassing. If she found out how much she affected his heart…he would die. But she was not close enough to hear how much he really wanted her. A tint of red stained his cheeks as he thought about her soft hands. When he was younger, her hands were bigger than his, but now, it was the opposite. She was a lot smaller than other girls and he wanted to touch other parts of her body. She seemed so innocent and…virgin like. He wondered if she had kissed anyone on the lips yet. He wondered if anyone had touched her breasts or her…He quickly erased the thought and felt a shudder of shame slide down his whole body. Oh God, he was a horny kid, along with the rest of sixteen year olds. He bit his lips hard and shut his eyes.

"Ken-kun." He heard a mellow voice call out to him, but he ignored it. It sounded exactly like Minako, but why would she be talking in his dream?

"Ken-kun! Stop!" The voice grew louder and it kind of sounded like a moan…a really cute moan.

Somehow, he was on top of Minako as she struggled underneath him. He puckered his lips and kissed her harshly on the lips. He didn't let go and continued down her neck. He slowly unbuttoned her blouse and licked her skin. He brought his head back up to her face and nibbled her ears. "Oh Ken-kun, stop it. You're going to hurt yourself." She mewled. He found that incredibly arousing and crept up her short skirt. He placed his hand right on her silky smooth thighs and gently rubbed them. "No! Ken-ken watch out!" She shouted this time. "Watch out for what? I'm only watching you babe."

"Idiot!" Minako pulled his hand back and he stumbled back into her embrace. She held him tightly. A loud noise ran by him and it sounded like…a train? What were they doing near a train?

Slowly he opened his eyes and noticed how close he was to a moving train and its train tracks. "What…I'm….Why am I here? I thought I was, you know, kissing-"

"Are you trying to kill yourself? You almost ran into that train. Stop being so reckless!" Minako yelled, but her words were muffled. He noticed how tightly she was hugging him from behind. Her arms were wrapped around his chest as the rest of her body was up against his back. It felt really nice.

"Minako, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where we were going. I was too busy thinking and god dammit! I'm such an idiot." He cursed himself. How much more will he embarrass himself?

"It's okay. As long as you're safe." Her words were quiet and soft.

"Thank you Minako, you saved my life."

"You're my friend. I don't want any of my friends getting hurt because of me. I just want everyone to be happy. Please…don't try anything rash."

Ken shuddered at the word 'friend'. Was he only a friend to her? He pushed her hands away from his body. For a moment, he stared into her eyes. Her eyes sucked him in like an endless abyss. What was he doing falling for a woman as beautiful as her? She was out of his league…now and then. It didn't matter. Even in a million years, he could never be good enough for her.

He turned around and continued straight into the darkness. In just a few seconds, he became one with the dark. It was as if he was a still statue, but he kept moving. Right behind him, a bright light shielded the darkness and it was warm. She gingerly lingered at his side. Yeah, she was definitely out of his league.

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"_Hey Minako, how do you like your coffee?" The boy clasped his hands together as he stood right in front of the tall girl._

_The girl pulled the hair tie from her fluffy brown hair and brushed it with her hands. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back. The boy only blushed. She looked gorgeous. _

"_Coffee you say?" she puckered her lips as she thought. The boy bit his lips._

"_Yeah, I'm making some coffee for myself and…if you want any..I-I can make you s-some." He tried not to stutter, but she was too cute._

"_Ah! I love my coffee with vanilla cream and sugar. I like it sweet, but not too sweet. I like it kind of bitter, but not as bitter as black coffee." She used her hands to convey how she liked her coffee. She smiled at the young boy and her eyes formed moon crescents._

_He was stunned that she liked her coffee sweet. Wasn't she an adult? Didn't she like her stuff bitter? Adults always preferred bitter coffee. _

_He cleared his throat before speaking. "I like mine black. It taste bitter, but I've acquired a taste for it. It's quite fascinating." He turned his head the other way, not looking at the girl._

_Minako brought her face close to his. More blood rushed into his cheeks and he couldn't hold back his embarrassment. _

"_Ken-kun is really cool! I wished I liked coffee black. It would be so much easier." She patted his head._

"_I'm-I'm not a little kid! You don't need to pat my head!" He slapped her hand away from his head and moved back._

_Her giggle filled the air._

Ken lazily drank his black coffee as he stared at the television. He would sometimes glance at the girl sitting right next to him. Her hair was wet from the shower and she was wearing his large white t-shirt and blue boxers. She was pouring milk into her coffee. Ken had to admit that she was really adorable. Her eyes were fixated on the cup, but her eyes found his. She smiled at him, but he only turned away. Her giggle filled the air.

He heard her sip the coffee and he couldn't help but look at her. The room was silent, except the noises emitting from the television. She looked so peaceful and calm…just like the time she slept on his lap. Unconsciously he reached for her cheeks and slightly stroked them. She only widened her eyes at his sudden action.

Minako reached for his wrist and grasped it. His actions were unpredictable and she wondered how he became this way. He didn't need to say much, but the way he stared into her eyes…was so loving. He tilted her chin up and examined her features. Everything about her was so perfect. Her lips looked especially nice. It was as if they were calling him to kiss it. He wanted to kiss is so bad.

He brought his face close to hers. He could hear her soft breathing. Her face was slightly flushed with pink and he could hear her heartbeat. They were so close and he was so tempted to just crush his lips onto hers.

A smirk plastered his lips as he moved back, away from the girl. He reached out and patted her head. "I think we should go to sleep." He whispered.

Minako almost did not hear his words, but she nodded. He stood up from his chair and gathered all the cups into the sink. She grabbed the milk carton and placed it in the refrigerator. The silence was so cold.

"You sleep on my bed. I'll sleep on the couch." His words were short and fast.

She glanced at his back before sauntering toward his bedroom. "Good night Ken-kun."

She shut the door.

"Yeah, good night to you too…Minako."

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When Minako woke up the next morning, she heard loud noises from the kitchen. She sat up and opened both her eyes to a bright sun. It seemed that she was asleep for longer than she thought. She quietly got out of the bed and folded it. She proceeded to the door and slowly opened it.

In came a blast of cinnamon and bacon. She momentarily closed her eyes and followed the smell until….

"You're kind of funny, you know." He laughed.

Minako's eyes fluttered opened and she felt embarrassed. Her expression quickly changed to panic and she covered her face with her hands.

Ken couldn't stop laughing. He reached for her hands and pulled them away from her face. "Don't cover your face. I can't see how beautiful you are."

Minako let go and stared deeply into his eyes. She took a deep breath and smiled. She tried to cover up her flushed cheeks.

"It smells really good and I'm really craving cinnamon buns." She changed the subject and brought her attention on his cooking. She opened the oven and a wave of cinnamon hit her. "Oh wow Ken-kun! They look delicious. I can't wait!" she almost squeaked, but somehow found a way to control herself.

"It's not that hard to cook. Actually, Shinjiro senpai taught me how to cook cinnamon buns two years ago. I had a big sweet tooth and always wanted something sweet. Yeah, it's not as good as Shinji's, but I tried to make it taste decent."

Minako shook her head. "I'm sure it's really good. Believe in your ability Ken-kun. You were the one who saved me in the end right?"

Ken widened his eyes at her sincere words. He covered half of his face with his hand, trying to cover his red cheeks. He quickly turned around and continued cooking.

Minako was left hanging until Ken said the name of a really important person.

"Do you want to see Akihiko? I forgot to tell you, but today's the SEES get together at Shinjiro's café. It's tonight at five. I didn't go to school today because I wanted to take you shopping for clothes and yeah…maybe go buy something for the event." He kept talking.

Minako shut her eyes and quietly thought about Akihiko and Shinji for a moment. How could she forget about the man she loved and the man she couldn't stop thinking about, even in her slumber? She couldn't lie to herself…she wanted to see them again.

"So how about that Minako? Do you like that?" Ken asked.

Minako kept silent until he asked her again. She was nervous. She was nervous to meet everyone again. How will she face them?

"Let's go shopping Ken-kun. I want to see this place again."

Ending note: Once again, thank you. I have to proofread this. I'll be uploading the next chapter in about a week. Please stay tune. This story is totally going into an angsty direction…wow talk about love triangles. I may change the rating if I want to write sexy times.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:** Okay, okay…hate me for lying and not updating months ago. It's just that…this chapter was almost done and I just really suck at writing. Sometimes it's hard to write because it takes me a whole day to write a chapter. Ugh…and no more of my excuses! Finals are coming up and I will have break and I will update more often! Recently, a lot has happened in anime. I bought my anime expo tickets and stuff from rightstuf. I haven't really been feeling Persona. I haven't played Persona Q and that sucks. I've just been stuck on my Naruto feels. It's over…without Naruto, I wouldn't be here writing fanfiction about anime and Japanese games. Oh thank the lord for Kishimoto. And here we go with more sucky kenxminako fanfic.

_**Chapter 3: You look great in that dress…**_

Ken was not a good liar. Actually, he was not very good at not being mean to anyone. His honesty was a trait he could proudly brag about…however, he was so naïve at the same time that the honesty he carried really didn't matter at the end. How could a kid like him understand? All he needed was a couple of beatings to get it through his head that no matter how hard he tried, his luck was complete and utter shit.

"How does this look?" Minako brightly smiled. A short, off the shoulder white dress hugged her body as she twirled in different directions. Ken was delighted to see Minako happy. He scanned her from head to toe, noting the tiny embellishments on the dress. It wasn't anything fancy and expensive, but on Minako, it looked like five hundred dollars. Yeah, it's only twenty one dollars.

"Do you like it?" He asked. He took a deep breath and stood up, towering the small girl. He stared into her auburn eyes.

Minako glanced back, but only for a moment. Ken quickly turned his face around.

"I do, but I'm wondering if you like it too." Her voice was fading. Her shoes began clicking…with each step getting louder and louder.

"Minako! I, it l-looks-" Ken, with the courage inside his poor little heart, turned back around, even with red tinting his small cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Minako, on her toes, brought her face closer to Ken. She brought it closer and closer until their foreheads touched.

"I-I-I just wanted to say it looks great on you." For a second, Ken looked deep into her eyes, but he couldn't hold it, so he dropped his face down. Minako smiled and extended her hand to him.

"You're a gentleman, aren't you Ken-kun?" She whispered into his ear.

"Honey, I'm going to try this on. Wait here~"

Minako immediately backed her body away from Ken's and quietly receded back into her dressing room, leaving Ken embarrassed and warm.

"Was she just teasing me?" He sauntered out.

The shopping mall was quite packed. Ken couldn't count on his hand how many times he bumped into people. The two left the apartment at eleven. They quickly had lunch at Wakatsu. It was the first restaurant Minako took Ken to when he was only ten. He remembered all the fond memories and their conversations about Neofeatherman. He also remembered the time his stupid friend called Minako "Old Hag". Oh how dare he! But Minako didn't mind, so he let him go. Ken doesn't talk to that shithead anymore.

"It's already three-thirty? Oh man, I haven't bought anything for the party yet." Ken whipped out his phone, staring at all the messages and missed calls. He sat beside Minako. They two were currently at the Shrine. Minako wanted to make a wish and since it wasn't too far, he agreed. He also agreed to buy them ice cream, but his ice cream was melting.

As he scanned through his phone, Minako softly whistled. She was very thankful to Ken for buying her the pretty dress she was wearing now. It complimented her nicely and to think that Ken personally paid it made her happy. He was a good kid. And a very sweet one. He was also the first one to reach her on that day. He ran so fast that she could only hear his heavy breathing the first few seconds he arrived. He really cared about her.

"What do I do?" Ken scratched his head, trying to think of something quick. Minako, curious, leaned closer to Ken. She wanted to see his phone. Before she could, he suddenly stood up.

Minako rubbed her eyes and brought her body up. She wondered what had happened to the boy because a gracious smile replaced his almost frown.

Abruptly, Ken took Minako's hand and pulled her forward. "I know a good place that will clean you up!" He smiled. His eyes were wide and sparkling.

Minako gulped before nodding yes. Ken took her hand and ran down the stairs, taking a sharp turn left and leading her somewhere.

The new Iwatodai amazed Minako. The beautiful city had aged well without her. The malls were bigger. The streets were clean. When she arrived, it was cold and bleeding. She felt like the plague. Everybody around her must have hated her at some point. All her friends treated her so well, but she couldn't give the same to them. Because of her, she brought her friends restless nights and painful days. When she disappeared, Iwatodai blossomed.

"This is Takeshi's Salon. He is Mitsuru's personal stylist, but he also does things for me. He's really good. I'm sure you'll like him."

'You'll like him'…But will he like me?

"Ken-kun," her voice breakable, "thank you." Her words were short. She didn't need to speak anymore.

"Hey, cheer up. We're going to a party in an hour. We'll get to see all our friends again." He gripped her hands tighter. This reassuring feeling…

"I'm not invincible. I only played the heroine because I wanted everyone to be strong. I am not strong. I was so scared…you see, I'm scared to see our friends again. It hurts. When you love something so much, it makes it harder to lose it. It's crazy! I'm alive and standing. How could this be? That's what they'll say to me. Do I really want to explain it to everyone? What about everyone that died in order for us to save this world? I should stay dead…forever."

Minako loosened the grip and separated herself from Ken. Silence filled the air, even though the cars zoomed by and the people kept talking. It was also cold, but the sun was bright today.

"Don't waste your life." Ken murmured. Minako's eyes widened.

"Live your life to the fullest because that is the only way to make it up to all the people who died. We tried our best, but you can't save everyone. When you save one person, you're making the decision to not save another person. Please, don't say you want to stay dead. Me…and all the others missed you so much. Like you said, our hearts never faltered and the following days after your death were hard. We've prevailed and now that your back, I'm happier than ever. Can't you see Minako? In just one day, you were able to make me so happy." Ken brought his hand to her cheek, gently rubbing it.

He quickly shoved her into his embrace. Ken rested his head up top her soft hair. She smelled like vanilla.

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"Hey, you still going to the party?"

"Of course, you've prepared so much." Ken pressed the phone closer to his face.

"Don't be such a suck up, you little shit."

Ken laughed. Tallking to him felt so good.

"It's four forty-five now. I'll see you in ten minutes."

"Yeah, be safe. I don't want you screwing things up for us." His giggle echoed through the phone.

"Before you go Shinji, I have something important to tell you." Ken pressed his lips together.

"Don't say it now. I'm going to wait until you come. If it's really important, you'll tell me face to face, like real men."

Ken felt his breathing increase. He slapped his hand onto his forehead.

"See you later Ken." It was silent.

Minako glared into the mirror, a smile on her lips. The young man Takeshi styled her hair down with soft curls. Pink gloss tinted her lips with her eyes decorated with soft colors. Her lashes were longer than before. She had never looked like this before.

"Thank you mister. I really appreciate it." Minako flashed the man her very famous, infectious smile.

"Ah! You look gorgeous! Anything for Mitsuru's dearest friends. Come here more often and I'll doll you up for free." The man clasped his hands together, staring in awe at his artwork. "Pretty, pretty face to play with."

At the front desk, Ken waved at the two. His smile came off as shy, but he was nonetheless happy to see Minako. Minako bowed at the young man once more before leaving. She wrapped her hands around Ken's arm and proceeded out the door.

Ken finally saw the leader he always knew. She was strong and positive, a person who tried to make everyone happy. She wasn't perfect, but she was the closest thing to perfection. She tugged at Ken harder. Now she was leading him. Minako Arisato. The name of an angel.

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"I didn't bring any food or decorations, but I did bring someone special." Ken smiled as he slowly opened the door to Shinji's café.

With their hands connected, Ken pulled a young woman with long brown hair to the front of him. She was clad in a white dress. Pink lightly tinted her cheeks and a smile sewn on her lips. Her eyes were a bright ruby red, something they've all seen before. When she opened her mouth, the words were short, but it rang a sense of familiarity. The girl tilted her head to the side, examining the small café.

When the SEES members turned their head, silence engulfed their mouths. It was hard to breathe in. Ken decided to break that silence.

"I told you guys I'd be here safe and sound."

And the only response quietly slipped from the lips of the café owner.

"Minako"

(This needs proofreading. I think I'll break my cycle by writing a fluffy oneshot. Oh, those are fun to write.)


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